All photos and video contained in this article were shot by DefenseReview.com, and are copyrighted. DefenseReview.com owns the copyright on these photos. The photos and video clips were shot with a Canon PowerShot S90 10-megapixel digital camera (still camera with video capability).

February 4, 2012

It’s gotten pretty hard to excite DefenseReview (DR), lately. A product has to be either really innovative and/or really cool (or both) to get our blood goin’, so to speak. However, the brand new Silencerco 5.56 Saker “universal” (DR’s term) muzzle can (silencer/sound suppressor, or signature reduction device) for 5.56mm NATO (5.56x45mm NATO)/.223 Rem. rifles/carbines/SBRs (Short Barreled Rifle), being both of thos things, managed to do just that when we visited the Silencerco/SWR booth at SHOT Show 2012 (see accompanying photos and video clips, below).

The 5.56 Saker suppressor turns conventional silencer design and wisdom on its head by taking the mounting system off the flash hider (flash suppressor) and placing it on a hot-swappable (i.e., interchangeable/modular) component on back of the can. The adaptable/modular mount is called the Silencerco Trifecta Fast-Attach Mount, and it’s a “game changer”, according to Silencerco’s Gary Hughes.

Thanks to the Silencerco Trifecta Fast-Attach Mount/Trifecta RS Flash Hider system allowing the end-user to fast-attach the Saker to the flash hider one handed from the front, a military assaulter/operator or 3-Gun competitive shooter can conveniently run the Saker on a carbine outfitted with handguards longer than the barrel and run the gun utilizing the now very popular/de de rigueur C-Clamp Grip shooting technique where the rail is grabbed as far forward as possible with the support hand and the thumb is wrapped around and sitting on top of the front of the rail. The C-Clamp shooting grip was first adopted/developed by competitive 3-Gun shooters and subsequently by military Special Operations personnel and civilian tactical shooting instructors and civilian tactical shooters. The instructors at Falcon Operations Group (FOG), Jason Falla of Redback One, and Chris Costa of Costa Ludus (formerly of MagPul Dynamics) all employ and teach this shooting technique.

The Silencerco 5.56 Saker Silencer/Sound Suppressor can be attached/mounted to the also innovative and very cool new Silencerco Tifecta RS Flash Hider/Suppressor (3-prong, open prong design), which is pingless/ringless due to its “resonance suppression” design/technology, or it can be attached/mounted to any other 5.56mm flash hider/silencer mount like the AAC Blackout Flash Hider or SureFire FH556-212A Flash Hider/Adapter, for example. With the Trifeca RS flash suppressor/hider, there’s no more of that pesky tuning fork-type pinging/ringing sound after each shot. DR would like to obtain of few RS flash hiders just for that!

You can also screw a cool little mini-flash suppressor/hider onto the front of the Saker for augmented/increased flash suppression, i.e., reduced flash signature (see accompanying photos, including the top photo), and it would appear the attachment can potentially double as a pain-compliance device, in case you need to muzzle-punch (or muzzle-push) someone.

If Defense Review heard correctly, Silencerco is currently working on a 300 AAC Blackout can, and it would seem logical that it would essentially be a 300 Blackout version of the 5.56 Saker can (unconfirmed/unverified).

In any case, the Silencerco 5.56 Saker is the coolest and most modular/versatile 5.56mm muzzle can DR has seen to date. The primary questions we have at present are 1) What’s the level of sound reduction, or decibal (dB reduction)? 2) What’s the precise weight of the Saker? And, 3) How will the Saker perform (i.e., hold up) on full-auto at high round count under combat-simulating adverse conditions? How reliable/durable is it when things really heat up, literally? We ask this because that’s where the rubber really meets the road for a military-grade suppressor.

DR will try to obtain full Saker specs and a Saker data sheet ASAP, and we’ll update this article when we do so and as we get questions answered.

DefenseReview would specifically like to see if the Saker can handle the intense, high-round-count full-auto training conducted by the boys at Falcon Operations Group (FOG), who all run FERFRANS SOAR-P short-stroke gas piston/op-rod (push-type operating rod) 5.56mm SBRs/sub-carbines and carbines and the FERFRANS HVLAR (High Volume Automatic Rifle) 5.56mm IAR (Infantry Automatic Rifle)-type carbine. Those guys run those guns on full-auto all day long and put A LOT of rounds down range in their classes, so if a piece of equipment is prone to any kind of failure, they’ll probably discover it. And, FERFRANS’ testing itself is very rigorous. It’s been the death of many a suppressor. In fact, Ferfrans has a silencer graveyard behind their facility with actual mini grave stones. O.k, we made that last part up–but you get the point. If FERFRANS and FOG both sign off on the 5.56 Saker, then it’s most likely good-to-go for military Special Operations Forces (SOF) use.

About David Crane

David Crane started publishing online in 2001. Since that time, governments, military organizations, Special Operators (i.e. professional trigger pullers), agencies, and civilian tactical shooters the world over have come to depend on Defense Review as the authoritative source of news and information on "the latest and greatest" in the field of military defense and tactical technology and hardware, including tactical firearms, ammunition, equipment, gear, and training.

It’s too long. The operational requirement is 5″ or less. Being able to attach to different flash hiders is fine; but that isn’t one of the metrics that suppressors are evaluated by. Good gimmick though.

A good suppressor is short (<5"); eliminates "flash" (i.e., light signature is nil); doesn't have any gas blowing back in the shooters face – (one of the reasons AAC isn't preferred over Surefire [even though AAC had the darkest, quietest cans]).

Manufacturers are all pretty close on the dark and quiet bit. Blowback, length & weight are the remaining issues.